College Baseball: Bibona first-team All-American

UC Irvine senior pitcher Danny Bibona was named first-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball on Thursday.

Bibona, a repeat first-team All-American, is the first UCI player to earn such distinction.

The two-time Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year is 9-2 with a 2.10 earned-run average this season with 100 strikeouts in 90 innings.

He missed his final three scheduled regular-season starts with inflamed rib muscles, but returns to the mound today to start against LSU in the opening round of the Los Angeles Regional at 2 p.m. at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Bibona, one of 30 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the top player in the nation, is UCI’s career leader with 330.

His 6.6 hits allowed per nine innings ranks 16th nationally.

— Barry Faulkner